


simmer

by brandywine421



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-13
Packaged: 2019-06-22 11:13:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15580704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brandywine421/pseuds/brandywine421
Summary: "I'm not allowed to take the bus because I'm grounded or else I wouldn't be here when I have this much homework. What's got all the Alphas turned up to eleven?" Barry asked. Captain Singh glanced at him in surprise."How do you know?" Joe asked. His close cop friends knew his designation already so Barry wasn't worried.Barry shrugged. "I can take care of it for you but you have to give me a hat or something so I won't get called out in public later.""Absolutely not," Joe said. Barry did most of the research on his genetic marker on his own time, Joe did enough for him already but he didn't know much about omegas. They were too rare for most Alphas to know about them outside of documentaries and biology textbooks - instinct, sure, but actual contact with one didn't happen in Central City, or the continental US at all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've always found A/B/O fic intriguing and decided to give it a shot myself. No m-preg, and no betas, just some scenes sewn together to try and build a world I can play around in. I hope it makes sense.

  
_afterschool special_

  
"Aw heck," Barry groaned when he stepped into the precinct to meet his foster father. He didn't need the officers to warn him to stay out because he could smell the emergency in the air. He spotted Joe and darted into the office.

"Barry - I forgot you were coming, you need to go right now," Joe blurted out.

"I'm not allowed to take the bus because I'm grounded or else I wouldn't be here when I have this much homework. What's got all the Alphas turned up to eleven?" Barry asked. Captain Singh glanced at him in surprise.

"How do you know?" Joe asked. His close cop friends knew his designation already so Barry wasn't worried.

Barry shrugged. "I can take care of it for you but you have to give me a hat or something so I won't get called out in public later."

"Absolutely not," Joe said. Barry did most of the research on his genetic marker on his own time, Joe did enough for him already but he didn't know much about omegas. They were too rare for most Alphas to know about them outside of documentaries and biology textbooks - instinct, sure, but actual contact with one didn't happen in Central City, or the continental US at all.

Singh narrowed his lips into a thin line but he held out a CCPD ballcap. "How old are you again, Kid?"

"Not old enough to take the bus unattended allegedly - but totally old enough to do this," Barry muttered with a pout directed at Joe. He popped on the hat and pulled his hoodie over it so his height could make up for the lack of age.

"What would your pediatrician say about this?" Joe asked, visibly unsure as to where this was headed.

"She doesn't know about this part, she's not a Vet," Barry mumbled, plucking a pushpin from one of the bulletin boards. "But if you've got an Alpha situation, this should fix it right up and nobody will have to get hurt." He pushed open the door before Joe could stop him and pricked his thumb with the tack.

There was an audible gasp, a communal intake of air that froze the room into stillness.

"Told you," Barry hummed softly and tugged on the strings of his hoodie to step into the bullpen. "Hi, hello. I'm the most important person in this room right now - does anyone have a band-aid? Oh, thank you, that's so nice - let me hold those for you - " The leaders of the riot hurried to his side, passing him weapons so they could fumble in pockets and bags for a bandage.

Joe and Captain Singh caught up before the rest of the officers, taking charge of the weapons and passing Barry handcuffs one at a time.

"I'm sure it's all a big misunderstanding, of course, nobody's hurt," Barry cooed, glaring daggers at Joe for getting him in this mess today. He just wanted a ride home, not a puppet show but the men and women previously growling and snarling in rage were offering their hands for restraints without protest.

"We're going to have a lot of conversations about this," Joe warned under his breath but several officers gave Barry appreciative nods when they'd never bothered with acknowledging him before.

"Sure," Barry sighed, looking up to the last Alpha.

"Hello, little bird," Leonard Snart said, last in line to offer his wrists for the cuffs.

Joe cleared his throat. "Excuse you?"

One day Barry would tell him that Leonard wasn't that bad and that he could take care of himself but not in front of all these literal cops and robbers. For now, he loosely snapped the steel around his wrists and hid his eyes under the hat. "Thanks for going quietly. Never seen you lose your cool," he added softly.

Leonard's eyes cut to Joe sharply but he spoke to Barry. "You trust him?"

"With my life," Barry replied automatically.

"Someone dosed us with something," he said darkly. "I don't allow drugs or Ferals in my operation and I definitely do not indulge. It only affected the Alphas," Leonard said with a flick of his head toward Joe. "You shouldn't let him flare his scent until he's older, I've warned him before."

"It was a special situation. Is everybody good?" Barry asked, glancing around where the officers have cleared the other Alphas and brawlers out of the room.

"How do you know each other?" Joe asked before the sergeant could escort Leonard out.

"Children are off limits," Leonard said, huffily. "He is under my protection, but he's not supposed to put himself in situations where he will need it."

"That's none of his business, Lenny, go to jail and stop talking out of turn," Barry frowned, taking the handful of tissues from the sergeant and wrapping his finger. He made sure to flash the medic alert bracelet that held his charms of protection from the various local packs.

"Good boy," Leonard nodded and swaggered toward the interrogation rooms and left him to deal with Joe and the curious cops.

"What was that about?" Joe hissed at him.

Captain Singh stepped in before he had to answer and glanced at Joe. "You should have mentioned the kid had a mark. Let's see it," he took his wrist carefully and studied the bracelet before snapping on a fresh link. "CCPD trumps all those unsanctioned ones, I'll explain it to your Dad later. You can use my office to do homework until he can take you home."

"Why does it feel like you're in more trouble than me right now?" Barry asked Joe.

Joe threw his hands up but Barry took the exit and ducked into the big office.

He finished all of the work he could do without asking for today's WiFi password. No bus, no internet access and probably an extension on his grounding when Joe got him alone.

He leaned his head on his backpack and decided to try napping when he heard Captain Singh at the door. "Anonymous consultant - I better not hear or read anything with his name or description on it."

Joe stepped in and splayed his hand on his neck gently. "Thank you for that today, and you're not in trouble. But you are never allowed to do anything like that again, okay?"

"But - " Barry started.

"The blood part, Joe has a lot of reading to do but there are different ways to get an Alpha's attention," Captain Singh said.

"I don't know how to do the other flares, I'm not old enough and it won't work the same," Barry protested.

"Exactly, you're not old enough to be doing the flare thing," Joe said. "How did you get those charms on your bracelet?"

Barry shrugged and held out his wrist so he could see. The medic alert stated his specific blood type but the extra links were from the local packs. "Not charms, just links with initials of pack Alphas that know I exist and promise protection. Lenny gets them for me, I haven't met most of these people. Some are from school, like, the assistant principal gave me one and the lunch lady."

"Children are off limits," Captain Singh said. "Snart's right about the bracelet, it's a tradition left over from when there were more Omegas in the population."

"It's not a sex thing?" Joe asked his boss.

"It's not a sex thing," Barry muttered. "Omegas have the fertility and caretaking parts, sure, but we're genetically designed to complement our Alpha, any Alpha. I should be able to learn how to read their auras or something when I get older. I knew those Alphas were 'sick' so their instincts trusted mine to make them better."

Captain Singh shook his head slightly. "The blood, Barry. An injured Omega has a Flare that is unpredictable, okay? Today, you were in control of it but in the future, will you please trust me that it's too dangerous to attempt? Instead of 'oh I'm a cute child that needs coddling', you might send a generic 'oh my god I twisted my ankle' and get swarmed."

He winced. "I didn't think of that."

"You were trying to help and you did, but you put yourself at risk," Joe said softly. "We're both learning how this works and I need to learn more about this Omega stuff so I can help you make better friends than the Snarts."

 

* * *

 

  
_tutorials_

 

Barry wasn’t sure why he had to go through all this just because Joe was taking a sudden interest in his Omega status. It had always been a part of his medical history but Joe was unmarked and he had enough of Barry’s baggage on his plate.

“Stop pouting like you’re being punished, this is supposed to help,” Joe frowned when he spotted his expression.

He smiled and hoped it look less fake than it felt. “Sorry, Joe.”

Joe squeezed his shoulder to reassure one of them. “David says you have to do this to make sure you can deal with Alphas safely, not yet but before you hit puberty.”

Oh. Barry lowered his gaze to the floor. “You’re talking about The Rule. Um, I already did that a few months back.”

"Wait, what?" Captain Singh blurted out His husband looked equally shocked as he followed him into the living room.

"Sorry?" Barry whispered. Mr. Rob was nice, he hated that he was already failing at his private lessons with the guy.

"All the research says it's the most important decision an Omega will ever make, and you did it without telling anyone?" Mr. Rob asked.

"It was an emergency," Barry said. "But it totally works so far, it's okay."

"Yet again, I don't understand; how do you know it works?" Joe asked. "What's The Rule?"

"Lenny says that I don't have to say it out loud," Barry said. "Captain Singh should know. Wait, I have to turn it on first." He didn't have the total hang of turning the Flare on and off but he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Right."

Joe made a frustrated sound and reached for his arm. Captain Singh spoke immediately. "Don't touch him. He has to give you permission."

"David, Joe's his father, he isn't hurting him," Rob scolded.

"That's my Rule. Don't touch me without permission. Alphas are supposed to know," Barry said.

"Let's pause this conversation," Joe interrupted. "What emergency would make you decide on *that* for your _Rule_?"

"It was so long ago, it doesn't even matter. The statute of limitations is passed on that story," Barry replied.

"Kid, come on," Joe said, sadly. "I'm trying here."

"I know, just. Okay, please don't be mad because it was totally a long time ago," Barry said in a rush. "I ordered something for Iris off the internet and was a surprise so I had to go to the UPS store to pick it up. And I'm not allowed to take the bus so this guy tried to mug me and I, well, I panicked. Lenny said it was a Fear flare. It set off Alphas for, like, three blocks."

"Snart was there?" Joe asked softly. Singh and his husband whispered to each other but it didn't matter what they thought - Joe mattered.

"Yeah, Lisa goes to school with me, she hates Iris but we're sort of friends," Barry shrugged. "Lenny talked me through it. He said it had to be done right away, on the first Flare, or it wouldn't take. He told me to choose something that would make me feel safe in the most unsafe of situations. Lisa says I'm going to die in a car accident because none of the Alphas will be able to help me, but there are just as many unmarked doctors than Alphas, you know?"

"It's not a bad choice, it's actually a pretty good one," Captain Singh remarked.

"I'm still wrapping my head around your mentor being one of Central City's crime bosses," Joe admitted.

"He's not really my mentor, but his grandma was an Omega. He doesn't want people to think he's grooming me to breed his pack so he sends books and things through Lisa," Barry said. He couldn't say Lenny was a friend, but he tried his best.

"I wasn't going to bring up breeding at all, you're not old enough to even know what that means," Mr. Rob said, scandalized.

"Everyone always wants to talk about breeding," Barry complained.

"I'd like to see the books your non-mentor sent you, I had to special order all the 'recommended curriculum' from France," Mr. Rob said.

Joe startled him with a tight hug that almost knocked him off the couch. "Please stop keeping secrets."

"It wasn't a secret. It was about my mark and that's not your problem, it's mine," Barry protested.

 

* * *

 

 

_newsbreak_

"Daddy, Barry's being mean to me," Iris called before Joe had his coat completely off.

"I don't see why this is my fault," Barry pouted, accepting Joe's head kiss and hug before he sat down at the dining room table with them to pretend to look at their homework.

"All right, the negotiator is home, what's all this about?"

"I want to go out with Jake Duncan but his mom only lets him double date and even though Barry is the most perfectly trained parental bargaining chip, he wants me to die alone and unloved," Iris said, fluttering her eyelashes to show how pathetic she was.

"You're not allowed to date. There, problem solved," Joe grinned.

"I am if Barry goes with me, that's always been the loophole, why do you think I always volunteered to babysit when you got paged? That 2 year age difference came in handy," Iris replied. "You had fun with Harvey last time, right? I'm sure he'd go for another date."

"I told Harvey that I would punch him in the balls this time instead of the face," Barry said before he remembered that Joe was still in the room. "I mean, no, I don't want to go out with Harvey."

"Who's Harvey?" Joe asked.

"A jerk who will not be invited along again," Iris frowned. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Barry waved it off. "He's just being a twit. He keeps trying to get me to Flare but he doesn't understand how it works. He'll be the last person on earth that would get that kind of flare out of me."

"Whoa, it's like that? Bear - " Joe started, alarmed.

"Don't freak out, Dad, he doesn't need another safe sex talk," Iris said and he sent her a grateful look.

"I am never having sex when I'm in flare, I won't ever date anyone that even wants to. Do you know that I'll have a 100% fertility rate with any female partner? The last documented male omega had 11,457 children when he died in Italy 1765 and that was just the tally from his funeral service, not his travels," Barry rattled off. "I don't plan on being the father of a small population, I'm 15 and I'm not even allowed to have a dog."

"You lost your dog."

"I did not lose the dog."

"Focus, kids," Joe sighed.

Barry closed his notebook and pushed it across the table for Iris. "It's nothing for you to worry about, Dad. Lenny made all the Alpha leaders blacklist me from the dating pools. I'm going to end up choosing an out of state school just to be able to find someone who doesn't know me by reputation."

 

* * *

 

  
  _volunteer_

 

"I don't know why you're even bothering to take the SATs again, you already have tons of college credits," Iris complained as she followed him into the clinic's lounge with her color-coded notebooks.

"I get college credit for tutoring and teaching the prep courses, I'm only taking it again because the scientists want to see if my score improved with age," Barry said.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "That's what you told Dad - it's because you popped your cherry, isn't it?"

"God, please don't explain it to him - I'm this close to getting him to sign off on Stanford," Barry groaned. "It's bad enough that Rob tattled to the study team."

"I told you not to tell Rob," Iris sing-songed.

He flipped her the bird and turned his hand quickly to wave at the Charge Nurse to let her know he was here.

He'd been followed by doctors and researchers since his first 'consultant' job with the CCPD but after he mastered the different Flares, he'd been cleared to work with the police and hospitals in specific situations to calm and treat traumatized Alphas. His work at this clinic was new and he wasn't sure if he was doing any good with his bi-weekly visits but the researchers insisted he needed the practice. He had no intention of making babies himself any time soon but the researchers insisted Omegas could help with fertility by their 'counsel' alone.

Barry didn't mind as much when Iris came with him, she was his biggest cheerleader in learning the Omega tricks and was great with the patients that were as clueless as he was with their sessions.

"Is Rob giving you shit about it?" Iris asked, softer now. "Do you want me to talk to him?"

"And say what, I made a stupid mistake and slept with a douchebag who ghosted me? Please don't. Some things are none of his business. I didn't flare even though he was an Alpha and that's all that matters to the scientists," Barry said.

"A lot of things matter to the scientists," the Director of the clinic chuckled as she stepped into the lounge. "Like your success rate."

"Ouch, that bad?" Barry winced.

Dr. Snow smiled brightly. "No, actually. Five out of the six couples you've done readings for have very good news. The sixth is getting a divorce but are completely okay with it," she added.

"Well, the readings are supposed to help the Alphas figure their shit out so I guess that still counts as success?" Iris offered.

"Exactly! But we're not bringing any new patients in until they complete the interview process - we didn't expect results this soon so we didn't have a waiting list," Dr. Snow admitted.

Barry winced at the thought of a waiting list. "You know I'm planning on going to college next year, right?"

"Your father said you were going to CCU," Dr. Snow said with a curious look.

"I need to turn my begging up to eleven before he starts hiding my applications before I can mail them," Barry sighed to Iris.

"Maybe think about post-grad," Dr. Snow suggested, kindly.  "You're doing so much good with your research."

He knew being under government 'review' would cause problems eventually but he'd always thought the good would outweigh the bad. He'd helped a lot of Alphas and families so far just by learning about his Mark. But he wanted his own life, too.

"We'll talk about it at home, she doesn't get it," Iris said under her breath, squeezing his arm "We'll make Dad get it."


	2. Chapter 2

 

_adulting_

 

Starling was nothing like Central City. There were more Alphas than he could have ever prepared for and it only took one visit to campus for him to nix any volunteer or consulting work in the immediate future.

All of his advisors were Alphas, his superiors at the SCPD were Alphas, his entire apartment building was filled with Alphas.

Sure, he'd been warned by Dr. Snow and his reluctant governement handlers but he was a legal adult with enough degrees and certificates to move out on his own. Somewhere he didn't have a key to the city because of his Mark and number of godchildren.

It was bad enough that he had a database to handle birthday cards for the children of the Alphas he'd 'counseled.'

Starling was going to be different. He wouldn't have to worry about random strangers trying to get him to Flare with mediocre sex or stray Alphas trying to get knocked up by convincing him to not use a condom.

No, he was going to be Barry Allen, post-grad student and CSI first - with the omega stuff left for later.

The club was busy and he didn't know a single person in the building. He smiled and made his way to the bar to see who would buy him a drink without seeing his bracelet or knowing why people thought he was important.

 

* * *

 

 

_spark_

 

 

Barry recognized the guy in the center of the growing cluster of thugs outside of the bar. He knew he shouldn't get involved but the wild look in his eyes reminded him of a trapped animal. He wasn't Feral when Barry brought him home a few weeks back, he'd been frisky, sure, but not out of hand.

From the looks of it, he was about to be out of hand and the circling Alphas were ramping up for a brawl.

Damn. Starling didn't follow the same rules as Central so he didn't want to risk himself but he couldn't watch this Alpha get his ass kicked when he had been so kind and friendly before. Something was wrong.

He hoped one day to stop wearing hoodies but he covered his head and burrowed into the shadow of the hood as he approached the crowd.

He didn't flare his scent in full, only letting a slow bleed of his mark through to clear the crowd and catch enough attention to speak. "What's going on?"

"Guy's about to flip out and I could use a good rumble," one of the thugs said.

"We don't need any trouble from the cops, I can take that Alpha down," another one said, giving him a curious look.

"That sounds like you want trouble," Barry replied, moving toward the source and cursing himself for not getting his name during or after their hookup. He pushed up his sleeve to show the silver chain, thick with the added links of his Alpha allies just in case the honor system didn't work. He flared and appreciated the hush that overtook the crowd.

"Hey, you remember me, right?" Barry caught his friend's attention long enough to bare his throat and true to Instinct, the guy stepped closer to scent him. "Put your hands in your pockets, that's right," he urged and waited for the Alpha to obey before looping an arm around his shoulder and tucking him against his side.

He flashed his bracelet again with a grateful nod to the still gathered swarm of assorted Alphas. "He's having a bad night, thank you for not making it worse."

"We can take you to your car, or drive you home, are you sure you're okay with that Alpha?" one of the thugs asked.

"He's a man, my friend, before he's anything else," Barry replied. "We're not animals, even if we have bad nights. Thank you for your offer." He steered the guy toward the parking lot and spoke to him softly. "I'll bring you back later if your car is here, I just want you out of their periphery while you come out of it. Are you coming out of it?"

"Did I hurt anybody?" he asked instead of answering.

"I don't think so, but they were swarming and you were putting out all kind of 'come at me bro' vibes. I don't know your name but I know that's not your normal state. With your scars, I figured you could use a tether for a minute."

"Shit, I went Feral in public, did anyone - did you see any cameras?" the guy asked when he allowed Barry to buckle him in.

He hesitated. "Are you famous or something? I didn't see any cameras, but I wasn't looking out for that. I'm just glad they knew what the bracelet meant, I know they don't use those in Starling - I don't know all the rules here yet."

"I will teach you everything, anything, for getting me out of there," the guy said suddenly.

"How about you just give me your name and tell me where I can drop you off?"

"Oliver Queen," the Alpha said.

"Shit," Barry whispered when he realized why he knew that name.

"Right. And I'm reasonably sure I didn't know you were an Omega when you invited me home last weekend," Oliver said with clear eyes. "What the hell are you doing in Starling?"

"Finishing my degree, and I'm not sure I should give you my name now that you know that," he admitted, double checking that he'd shuttered the Flare.

He reached over and tugged the hood from Barry's head to show his face. "You can hide it?"

"Wouldn't have made it this long if I couldn't; do you want to tell me what happened back there?"

Oliver sank into the seat and strummed his hand over the splitting vinyl. "Do you know my story?"

"Rich guy lost at sea?" Barry replied.

"There's a little more to it than that. How did you know what to do?" Oliver asked, soft now that the adrenaline and panic and swagger was wearing off.

"Never met another Omega, but I've met a lot of Alphas," he said, jingling his bracelet.

"What's your Rule?" Oliver asked after a beat.

"No touching without permission. You didn't break it, it's only when I'm in Flare that it matters and you were a good listener tonight," Barry said when he winced.

"You're not in Flare now. And I'm not Feral. So." Barry glanced at him curiously but Oliver wasn't looking at him. He laced their fingers together across the handbrake before meeting his eyes with a triumphant smirk. "There. Better."

"Sure?"

Oliver grinned. Barry wondered how much shit he had just fallen into.

 

* * *

 

 

_nice to meet you_

 

 

"Hey, thanks for coming," Oliver smiled, pausing before he embraced him loosely at the edge of the bar.

"Thanks for the invite, I think. My sister would be so jealous if she found out you put me on a VIP list," Barry said.

"Even if it's for self-serving reasons?" Oliver asked.

"Helping your friend isn't selfish," Barry corrected but Oliver twisted his scarf through his fingers with a wink and he wondered which of them was missing the point.

"The whole 'friend' definition is subjective at this point, but Tommy maybe comes closest. Sara and Laurel fall more into Frenemy territory," Oliver explained as he guided him into the roped off section.

"That sounds foreboding," Barry snorted.

He picked Laurel out as one of the few unmarked people in the room and slid into the booth beside her after introductions were made. Oliver continued to play with his scarf when he was trapped inside the semicircle.

"I guess I'm getting the first round then," Tommy chuckled, climbing out.

"Not that Tommy's not glad to hear from you, Oliver, but what's all this about?" Sara asked, making a point to drop her fake smile.

"She's right, you don't usually invite us to meet your boytoys," Laurel added.

"I see what you mean about frenemies," Barry murmured to Oliver.

"Barry's from Central City, he hasn't met a lot of the locals yet and he saved my ass the other night. He's a good friend," Oliver said.

"I work at SCPD, I've seen you around the station and courthouse," Barry told Laurel who was visibly surprised. "I'm not an actual boytoy, I just make questionable life choices when too many mixed drinks are involved."

"How did someone like you help him?" Sara snapped.

"Someone like me?" Barry replied, giving her the chance to dig herself a deeper hole.

"She means a stranger, nothing personal," Laurel jumped in with a worried expression. "Down a notch, Sara."

"I almost went Feral downtown last night," Oliver stated as Tommy returned just in time to mirror the women's worried expressions.

Barry reached out to take his beer from the waiter and flashed his bracelet just enough to catch Sara and Tommy's notice before he settled back in the seat. "I volunteered for years back home so I have the training but Starling doesn't have rules like Central City."

"Prove it," Sara snarled suddenly, reaching for his hand.

"No touching," Barry said an instant before she made contact and she darted backward like he'd burned her and her expression matched the reprimand. "Rude."

"Shit, you're - wow, welcome to Starling, she is so very sorry," Tommy said with blown pupils.

He closed the defensive flare and turned to Laurel. "How did you survive surrounded by this many Alphas all the time? Quentin and your sister?"

"Mom, too. Alphas make up 85% of the population around here, how - are you an - " Laurel dropped her voice.

"He's a post-grad CSI tech that drives a shitty car and wears cheap knockoffs. That's all. I am going to buy you a better scarf," Oliver said, plucking at the corners again and ignoring his friends.

Barry took a long swallow of beer before he looked at Sara again. "My rule is that you can't touch me without permission."

"Understood," Sara replied with a muted nod.

"What kind of volunteer work did you do?" Laurel asked.

"I consulted with the police and at the hospitals with traumatized Alphas. My dad's a detective and I had a pretty good relationship with most of the Alpha leaders," Barry said. "I wouldn't even know where to start making friends like that here."

"You won't, the hierarchy works differently. It's not safe for you to be recognized," Oliver said, curtly. "You go to school, work and let me find friends for you that won't take advantage."

Sara and Laurel snort in unison.

"I can make my own friends, thank you very much." He motioned for Sara to put out her hand again and she visibly steadied herself.

"It's not like palm-reading in the normal definition - it's all instinct," he explained, hovering his fingertips over the creases of her palm. "I can tell that you're a strong, valiant Alpha and that you have done things that you're not proud of, that make your anger boil over - but I can see that things were done to you first." He hesitated. "That's really unfair, whatever that was, that's very not okay."

Laurel opened her mouth to interrupt but Sara startled everyone with a bright laugh. "I really believe that you mean that."

"He doesn't get details," Oliver said quietly.

"Its a way for an Omega that doesn't like to be touched without permission to see the best way to soothe a cooperative Alpha. I'm not doing any kind of contact Flare."

"What's the problem with contact? Do you wear gloves all the time?" Laurel asked.

"It's only when I'm Flared, I had to decide on my one Rule before I knew what I was getting into but it's worked out so far," Barry said.

"Omegas get to pick one core rule of respect when they have their first Flare," Tommy explained to her.

"I'm a fan of physical contact under the right circumstances," Barry said. "And I know how to control it. An Alpha should only know my mark when I want them them to."

Sara slowly pulled her hand away and wrapped it around her beer. "What would you advise?"

"You don't need tea and cuddles like Oliver, that's for sure," Barry winked. "You need to get out of your head, somewhere loud and not designed for calm, polite conversation. You need to go somewhere the sound outside can be louder than inside your head. Then you can find someone soft to buffer all the sharp edges you don't really have," he added.

"Tea and cuddles?" Tommy asked after a long moment.

"Warm and soft wasn't part of our training regiment," Oliver stated.

"Only I can make it quiet," Sara nodded solemnly.

"Try it out and if I'm still around in a couple of weeks I'll take another look and I have a feeling a lot of those shaky spots will clear up," Barry motioned to her hand.

"We'll see you a lot sooner than a couple of weeks," Laurel said. "Ollie can invite Felicity and we'd have an equal balance against Alphas on a night out for probably the first time ever."

"No, she's a flirt," Oliver said, tugging on his scarf and kissing his cheek chastely. "No flare so I can touch," he smirked at Sara and Tommy's put out expressions.

"No cockblock," Barry scolded. "Tell me about this girl."

"She's awful, no sense of humor, not even smart at all, you'll hate her," Oliver said, sliding over another inch and winding his arm around his waist possessively.

"She sounds awesome. You said this was a friend's night, not a double date. I have to be up early tomorrow," Barry warned but he didn't pull away.

"Please don't make me go back to the mansion, I don't even care if you make me sleep on the couch again, Tommy, tell him," Oliver motioned for backup. "Barry had one of those sitcom families - he told me I should give my sister a hug."

Sara and Laurel gasped and Tommy laughed like it was an actual joke. "Barry, hugs don't happen in Pureblood houses. Thea would call the police before he got his arms out, if she even knew what was happening."

"You should hug her, too. I haven't met her, but between your palmlines and Oliver's - that girl needs a hug. I want to meet her."

"Never," Oliver and Tommy said in unison.

 

* * *

 

 

_loan_

"Wait, he's the CCPD consultant?" Quentin interrupted the Captain. "I thought he was our probie CSI."

"Central has better defined rules for this part of my skillset so it doesn't affect my employment status here. I have a long term consulting contract with CCPD. This is a favor, a trial run probably to see if it'll ever be offered again," Barry answered.

"Starling doesn't have a precedent for this but we're grateful for the opportunity to work with you," the Captain said with a warning look at Lance.

"Sara said you'd be my safest bet as handler," Barry told the Detective and he flushed with sudden understanding. "Nobody touches me, nobody gets to know who I am or why I'm here."

Of course that all went to shit when he stepped into the holding area and recognized one of the Alphas immediately from the averted brawl last week.

"Oh, it's you - you're still in Starling - it's the omega," the biggest of the suspects said, hushing the rest of the group in the cell.

Quentin glanced at him but followed his instructions and didn't interrupt.

"I thought Starling was going to have less violent incidents in my perimeter," Barry replied in a soothing tone that silenced the entire room. "An omega's never going to want to stick around a place where Alphas can't control themselves," he added.

"Something set everyone off at the same time," one of the women said, walking to the front of the cell so she could peer at him through the bars. "My crew are pacifists, we came for the music scene not to battle."

"There's a music scene?" Barry asked, glancing at Quentin.

The grizzled detective shrugged. "EDM mostly, DJ Popo is huge overseas."

"We work security, we've got clean records," the big guy said.

"You think they got dosed with a new strain?" Quentin asked him, speaking of the long neutralized Rage drug.

"I hope not," Barry muttered. "All right, I'm not privy to the police details but let's see everyone's hands."

"What are we being charged with?" the woman asked, not retreating from the front.

"There weren't any injuries but there was a lot of property damage," Quentin said. "Now that everyone's calmed down we can start sorting the victims from suspects. If you were dosed or triggered against your will, we can start figuring it out."

"There you go, see? No harm, no foul. Hands?" Barry approaches the bars. The woman went first, pushing both hands out and splaying her fingers. He scanned her palm-lines and nothing set off his instincts and when she turned to display her knuckles, there were no exposed claws or brands. There was a faded stamp from the club entry. "Can I swab that?" he asked the woman.

"I'm a pacifist, I swear, whatever it takes to get me out of this hell of a place, do it," she shrugged. "I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"No flirting with the guest," Quentin warned.

Barry showed her the swab as he opened it and took a sample of the intricate design stamped on her hand before sealing it and passing it to Quentin. "Drop of blood for chemical check?"

The woman hesitated. "Off the record, that's going to pop for Herbals."

"We don't prosecute for Herbals unless they're dosed with something," Quentin said.

A layer of tension Barry hadn't processed suddenly lifted from the room.

"You were all brought in from a Suck It Celsius show, we would have to arrest everyone that had tickets - but somebody's gotta answer for ripping down those bleachers," Quentin muttered.

"And you all know I can't detect property damage from a palm-reading."

Not all of the Alphas had handstamps and not all of them admitted to using Herbals outright but the cells were cleared and the evidence sorted and sent to the lab when he pulled his hood down and scrubbed his fingers through his hair. "It'll take a minute to fade," he told Quentin, leaning against the bars as he shuttered the flare.

"Huh. Never met an Omega, sorry if I came off harsh with the Captain," Quentin said, scanning him curiously. "I didn't know you could turn it off and on."

"I've never met another Omega, either but I'm glad I'm not slipping. The smooth-talking shouldn't have affected you if I directed it correctly," he added.

"Right. Did - how do you know my daughter?"

"There are a lot more unbonded Alphas in Starling than advertised, seriously, never tell my Dad how bad it is or he'll never let me finish my doctorate here," Barry huffed out. "Your whole family was Alpha, right? You and her Mom?"

Quentin shrugged. "That's not uncommon around here."

"It is for me, I'm on Team Laurel all the way, Switzerland," Barry said. "The only Alphas I knew were from the local Packs and the CCPD. My dad's a detective, no mark. So really, I met Sara and Laurel, which you'd know if you answered your phone sometimes."

"Shit," the man sighed. "I'll call her."

"Sara's doing better. She's not Feral anymore, if that helps, but I'm not sure of the baseline for family relations in a family full of Alphas. I've met some of Oliver and Tommy's family and seriously - how hard it is to fucking talk to your kids like human beings?"

Quentin blinked at him. "The Queens and The Merlyns are not good examples of functional Alpha families. They're purebloods, for one - "

Barry held up his hand. "Don't start with that, I don't believe any of that mumbo jumbo. You're a cop, you're supposed to know that pureblood stuff is nonsense. Do I smell null again?"

The detective scented the room and frowned. "Yeah, you're good."

"Don't shop the consultant thing around, I have way too much on my plate right now to add on to my lab hours," Barry said.


	3. Chapter 3

_parlay_

 

Oliver licked behind his teeth and Barry forced himself to push the man back so he could catch his breath. His mouth was swollen and at some point, their shirts had been misplaced and there was so much bare skin begging to be tasted.

"I - okay, we have to pause," Barry said, splaying his hand over one of the tattoos as if the contact would be enough. "Because you've been sleeping on my couch five nights a week and - "

"I wouldn't mind sleeping in your bed - " Oliver cut in, darting in for a draining kiss before Barry could finish his thought.

"That's not a pause," Barry laughed, pulling away again and linking his fingers behind Oliver's neck and shifting their positions so he was straddling the Alpha on the couch. "I was thinking of giving you a key but since we're not officially dating and you don't actually live here - I think we need to have some kind of verbal conversation."

Oliver slumped, lowering his chin as if deflated. "I hate the mansion. I like it here - I like you - but my family is more complicated by the day."

"The Pureblood stuff," Barry said, knowing he was going to have to tug forcefully for any information.

"Yes. There are other variables involved, like the lost at sea cover-up and what really happened - and what my parents, and Tommy's Dad has to do with it - and my sister is in the middle of it and she fucking hates me," Oliver blurted out. His eyes were stormy when he looked up. "It's quiet here, and you're - definitely not quiet, but - you make my mind quiet."

"If your family's anything like Tommy's Dad - I get why it's not the most fun place to visit. You can move in here, conditionally - "

"No, I have to stay with the pack or it's - when - you have to stay away from Malcolm," Oliver frowned.

"No worries about that," Barry replied. "I didn't like the way he spoke to Laurel when he interrupted our brunch last week. Tommy growled at him and Laurel says that never happens."

Oliver was visibly surprised but his fingers tensed, nudging into his skin before he realized. "He spoke to her?"

Barry studied his face. "Yeah?"

"He never acknowledges her, he's Pack Alpha and she's human," Oliver said, eyes distant. "Stay away from Malcolm."

"Hey," Barry said, tracing his jawline until Oliver met his gaze. "You know how I'm the only living Omega on this side of the world, right?" Oliver blinked at him. "Well, if a big scary Alpha ever makes me feel unsafe, I'm bound by law to report the threat to my government liaison. There are three people in the country that aren't allowed within 1000 yards of me and Mr. Merlyn made that list."

"What?" Oliver whispered.

"Tommy legit asked me to move into their house which was really not what I expected," Barry admitted, holding his stunned stare. "My instincts screamed that he's unsafe in every way so I took him out of my perimeter."

Oliver shuddered. "But he knows you're - "

"No he doesn't, I didn't Flare," Barry said. "I was on my lunch break and I was wearing my SCPD badge so he acknowledged me but only in passing. I can do a surface scan of an Alpha from a voice clip if I'm centered enough so five minutes in his immediate area was more than enough to ping my sensors, you know?

"No, I don't know," Oliver whispered. "He's dangerous, I think - did you - Jesus..."

"He is dangerous, but I don't know why," Barry said. "And the danger isn't necessarily directed at me, I didn't actually do a reading - but I've trained with cops to pick out threats, to use my Mark as more than a fertility trick and those are the instincts that he set off."

"Sara and I weren't lost at sea. We should be dead. They wanted us dead. We weren't lost at sea," Oliver said after a long moment.

Barry wasn't sure how hard he wanted to push but he didn't want to break the brewing moment. "Where were you?"

"An island. They trained us to fight, like gladiators, and told us to breed like rabbits - didn't take," Oliver added after a beat. "Sara and I lied, said we were bonded to try and stay together but they split us up, made us fight each other, fuck each other, bleed or breed - "

Barry didn't expect that but he didn't want Oliver to close off and Flared gently to send a reassuring warmth to the Ailing Alpha.

"It was worse for her, I brought her there - she should never have been there - all I could do was make sure they didn't give her to anyone else - just me - " Oliver said, closing his eyes. "But we made it to the top of the ranks - took a year and by then - hell, Feral doesn't describe what we were by then. Mindless animals. Attack dogs. We did what they wanted - we - served our Masters until we were strong enough to kill them all - "

"No more," Barry whispered, kissing him chastely. "You're home now. You found your way home. Safe."

Oliver looked at him with wide eyes. "Contact flare," he said, tugging Barry's hand to his mouth to kiss. "You don't have to - "

"I rarely do anything I don't want to," Barry replied. "Don't get used to it, especially if we're going to talk about sharing a bed."

"I think my mother had something to do with the boat accident. I can't move out of the mansion, I can't leave the Pack until I know for sure what her plans are - what she wants from my sister. I can't expose you - " Oliver leaned forward and kissed him fiercely. "You know I want you, Barry - but I can't risk - not yet - just - please - "

"Shh, relax, we'll figure it out as we go, okay?"

"No, you brought it up - you're right - we need to talk about it. I don't want you to be with anyone else - fuck, just - I want you wait for me to figure it out."

"I'll wait for you but only if you _let me help_ you figure it out."

 

* * *

 

 

_introductions_

  
Barry had only seen Thea Queen in photos and TMZ but she was dazzling in person. He smiled when he recognized the Alpha on her arm and gave a friendly wave.

"Hey, Allen," Roy greeted him. "Didn't expect to see you."

Thea didn't spare him a glance, the definition of an Alpha's posture as she approached the table.

"Thank you for coming," Oliver said. He avoided looking at her directly but she was looking slightly past him at the wall, too so she wouldn't notice. "It's good to see you."

"Don't you live in the same house?" Barry asked before he remembered that he was trying to stay quiet.

"It's not - it's good to see you, too," Thea blurted out. "How are you?"

Oliver flicked his eyes at Barry for a moment before nodding. "Better. You?"

"It's complicated. I'm doing well," she replied.

Laurel leaned over and confided, "This is going to be weirder that when Dad tried that hug thing on me last week." Barry smiled brightly at the image. Since the SCPD's Alpha staff outnumbered the Unmarked so drastially, he'd been sanctioned to offer general counseling sessions upon request. He figured Quentin had been coming for the free coffee like most of the others.

Tommy motioned for Thea to sit down and she finally looked at Barry, curious and cold when she took in how closely Oliver was sitting to him. "Who's the boytoy?"

Barry considered flipping her the bird but he had to be on his best behavior for this to work and let out a soft Flare so she would know that he wasn't a threat. "Not a boytoy, I'm way too expensive for him. I'm here as mediator since everyone but you, it seems, is a friend."

Thea's eyes widened with with understanding and she gasped. "Where the hell did you come from?"

"He is mine," Oliver said with careful syllables. Barry realized he was biting back a snarl and thumped his knee. Oliver took advantage and snatched his wrist to show Thea the bracelet. "He's under my protection."

"Mine, too," Roy gave an enthusiastic thumbs' up.

"Got Quentin and SCPD on there, too, they had to special order the links since Starling runs on scenting like medieval times or something," Barry said.

"How do you know each other?" Tommy asked Barry with a suspicious look at Roy.

"He saw me go Feral downtown," Oliver answered quietly.

Roy shook his head before Thea could react. "Nah, man, I didn't see anything. Barry drove you off before you went full-out. I was one of the security guys that got dosed at the festival a few weeks ago and he cleared us all from jail."

"Roy's a good guy, I understand how his Pack works even if I don't understand Starling's Pureblood fixation," Barry said honestly.

"Why does he get to touch?" Roy asked. Thea glared at him sharply but he only shrugged and motioned across the table. "Even when you helped him out before you didn't touch him bare-handed."

Barry reached over and poked him hard in the forearm. "It doesn't matter if I'm not flared. I mean, you sneak up on me - sure, it'll turn on but we're just hanging out, right?"

Oliver held up a single finger. "I also want it on record that it does matter. Are you fucking my sister?"

Barry started to scold him but Roy spoke up. "I'll put a ring on it when you admit you're living with Allen."

Oliver's eyes flashed but Thea silenced her mate with a glare. Barry glanced at Laurel and decided to stand down.

"I thought you were out slutting it up. I'm - of course it's safe there," Thea said with a quick look to Tommy.

"I haven't noticed a tail lately," Oliver said and Thea didn't deny the pointed comment.

"I don't plan on losing track of you again. Don't take everything at once," Thea said, raising her eyes to meet Oliver's. "Do it slowly, pack your gym bag with some clothes every morning. He'll keep you safe. There are things in motion - "

"Thea," Tommy hissed suddenly. Laurel turned to him with a betrayed look but he was locked on Thea.

She didn't turn away from Oliver. "You aren't a part of this. You weren't here. In a few weeks, you'll be a part of all of it - but not now." She swivelled her gaze to Laurel. "You are not a part of this either. Not yet."

Barry cleared his throat and sent a soft flare to soothe the building tension. "They'll be safe," he told Thea before looking at Roy. "You've got her six, right, Roy?"

Roy nodded resolutely and Thea frowned sharper than Oliver or Tommy but Barry knew what he was doing.

"Then all of that sounds fine," Barry smiled, taking Oliver's clenched fist and lacing their fingers together on the table. "See? Alphas can totally have civil conversations without drama," he winked at Laurel who let out a frustrated noise.

"Just like that?" Oliver asked him.

"Cold reading - she's got her shit together which is more than I can say for the rest of you," Barry replied, having gotten enough of a read off the young Alpha to trust her intentions. "Let's not mess up her business and give her the time she needs to make things better."

"You weren't here," Thea repeated to Oliver, leaning forward and dropping her voice. "Malcolm loves to say that I'm his protégée, his rising star. I may be his daughter, but I love my brothers more than - he'll pay for taking you from me. They'll both get what's coming to them but - "

"You're really going to - " Laurel murmured to Tommy.

"We aren't talking about this," he snapped.

"Plausible deniability is a serious thing," Barry said quietly. "You work for the DA's office and your dad's a cop. Let them have their secrets and if you're still mad after, I have a guest room with your name on it. The less they have to worry about their loved ones, the easier time they'll have."

"You got a room for Sara, too?" Thea asked.

"She has her own place, I see her on Tuesdays for therapy," Barry shrugged, ignoring everyone's surprised look. "What?"

"She follows him home after, she thinks too many people know about him," Roy said. "He has a shit car."

"How do you know Sara, too?" Oliver demanded in a dark voice.

"Roy's pack watches that part of town," Barry answered.

"Don't give me that look, we didn't invite her to ours or anything, she's too volatile for my Pack," Roy said aside to Thea, annoyed. "I didn't tell you about the omega because I didn't know he was banging your bro." He tilted his beer at Laurel. "And don't feel bad about that punk not telling you stuff, Thea doesn't tell me anything either."

"Because we need you to be separate from this right now," Tommy said firmly, vibrating with his father's darkness for once.

Barry cleared his throat again and caught all the Alphas' attention. "DJ Popo is playing the Starling Arena in a month and it's been sold out for weeks - which one of you can get me tickets?"

"I got you, brah," Roy smiled, bumping knuckles with him. Oliver didn't growl but mumbled curses into his neck when he leaned back into position at his side.

"Then I consider our family visit a success," Barry winked.

 

* * *

 

  
_slasher_

 

He leaned down to snap a final picture of the blood smear before he reached for a sterile swab to collect the sample. The crash caught his attention before the stranger loomed over him with the flash of a blade.

It wasn't an Alpha, it was a normal Unmarked bad guy and Barry's Omega training hadn't dealt with human suspects. His Dad was a great cop, though, so reaction time aside - he shook off the shock and kicked out, connecting with his ankle and then harder - up and in - levering his weight to snap his knee. His head hit the corner of the dresser and Barry didn't take a breath until the suspect's chest moved despite his apparent knock-out.

He forgot to say 'Hi-yah' in honor of Iris for teaching him the move but never letting him use it successfully on her in practice.

Gary, the head coroner and three of his coworkers had scrambled from the other rooms and were about to thoroughly wreck the crime scene and he realized that he'd broken one of his core base rules of survival. Fear Flare - he had to pull it back before all the Alphas in his perimeter snapped to instinct.

"Settle," he said firmly and they slowed, clustering but remaining out of reach. "Detective Lance," he said when he spotted the man pushing through the doorway and new arrivals. "Protocol 2."

"No, Protocol 1, check it and advise again," Quentin growled as the other Alphas allowed him to the front.

_Blood flare_. Oh no, that was so much worse. He held out his arms but it wasn't until he glanced lower that he saw the strip of fabric hanging loosely from his jacket and the blood steadily soaking his undershirt. "Protocol 1. Detective Lance is Primary and has my handling instructions," Barry said, taking a step backwards.

"Take that guy into custody and clear the scene, put two Unmarked officers at the door. Have the unmarked Medics waiting outside the house and send me the biohazard kit," Quentin said, moving into place at his side with determined focus now that he had official instructions. "Permission to touch in terms of triage?"

"Yes, but - Fear flare," Barry whispered as the room cleared. He recognized a couple of unmarked uniforms and CSIs lurking but he stripped his jacket and shirt off to stuff into an offered bag without a blip. They had to control the situation but he couldn't relax enough to center his instincts.

"Steady, kid," Quentin said, pressing a handful of fresh gauze against the long slash across his ribs. "We're all professionals here and the asshole's out of the area."

"Fear flare," Barry repeated.

"No, just Blood, you didn't slip," Quentin growled. "Fear would have been better than this - there wasn't a hint of danger until we caught the scent of your pain."

One of the officers guarding the door cleared his throat. "Uh, Mr. Allen, do you have an Unmarked companion you would like to request as chaperone? SCPD added a couple of rules to your protocol."

The pain was starting to break through the adrenaline. "What?"

"Governor said there were too many Alphas in Starling to be sure we could quarantine your medical care to Unmarked staff," Quentin said. "So you need a backup. Laurel would come, or that blonde."

His vision blurred for a moment and he felt his control dip as his panic spiked that he might pass out. "Don't call my dad and you can call Laurel," Barry said, swaying slightly. "We're contaminating the scene - "

The officer mumbled something into his microphone cleared his throat again. "They're dropping air cleansers but the exterior of the house is clear according to the other Alphas, they're cycling them out with Unmarked crew."

"He just dropped a Protocol 2 flare, so make it faster - if he goes down, it might get tricky," Quentin growled.

"Steady," Barry remembered. "If I pass out - "

"As of 5 minutes ago, everyone on the force has a copy of your rules - but staying awake is definitely preferable," Quentin said as the medics arrived.

"Mr. Allen, do you give us permission to treat you?" a flushed man asked without hiding his excitement.

"Ew," Barry said and Quentin growled. "I mean, yes. Go wash your hands and burn that stuff. See if someone has clean clothes for me once they wrap me in plastic."

He wasn't sure if the detective would obey but Laurel stepped into the room looking harried. "Jesus, Barry, you weren't kidding - I just had to tell the SBI director not to call in the national guard - Dad?"

"He needs to wash his hands and I need to sit down," Barry said. "Quentin. Go clean up, I need you ready to growl at other people later."

"Thank you for coming, Laurel. Keep him steady and spray this room down before I get back," Quentin said, hurrying out of the room.

"I had no idea it would be this intense but I'm glad I can help. What do you need?" Laurel said, her eyes softening when she glimpsed his injury.

"No pictures, no samples and don't leave me unattended with any Alphas, especially unbonded, if I pass out."

"Dad's unbonded," Laurel said, but tapped into her phone.

"But he's down as my SCPD Primary, he has two successful children, one's a lawyer and the other's a top Alpha," Barry said. "He was the one of the few on the list that my Dad and government handlers agreed on."

 

* * *

 

  
_timing belts_

 

"I had exemplary medical care in your hospital," Barry said, hoarse with exhaustion. He'd been soothing unsettled Alphas for what felt like hours while he got stitches. It was only after the Decon shower and the sutures were covered and sealed that Quentin agreed to call off the Protocols.

Now he just had to convince the director of the hospital to let him go home. "I would prefer to finish my recovery in my own environment and I've been cleared. Please, for the safety and comfort of your patients and staff - I request a safe exit."

"Of course," the man said eagerly and Laurel swooped into action, pushing a bag of clothes he didn't recognize into his hands while Quentin escorted the man out to finish the paperwork.

"Thank fuck," Barry exhaled, pulling on jeans with the tag still on before fumbling out of the hospital gown and reaching for the rest.

The hoodie at the bottom was Oliver's and he suddenly processed that he was walking out of the frying pan into the fire.

"It hit the news, no names but enough that your local friends are on full alert," Laurel admitted. "All the Starling contacts on your bracelet have come forward to offer you sanctuary."

"I can't be bound to a single Pack, that's not how it works," Barry sighed.

"Hey, we know, I'm just giving you the rundown. Good call on using Dad as your Primary, he's not bonded or affiliated with a Pack outside of the office. Sara brought his car and they made this big show about it, talking about how you picked him due to his family focus," Laurel said.

"I don't know how you grew up, but I've always seen that he loves you and Sara more than anything," Barry replied. "I know why you probably don't see it but I've never understood why Sara doesn't."

"Because you never met our Mom," Laurel said softly. "But their little public display seems to have shut down all the local arguments about who you're leaving with but the national news, and beyond, is blowing up with anonymous puff pieces about your work in Central City. Do you know all your Godchildren by name?"

He gave her the finger and zipped up the oversized hoodie, appreciating the hint of Oliver's cologne. "Did you miss anything important at work? I honestly didn't know about the new requirements in my contract, but I'm really glad you were able to be here."

She rolled her eyes. "Cards out - when you put Malcolm on your government blacklist, I may have reached out to your contact to find out the legal details. They were curious about your sudden addition so I may have explained Starling's unique Alpha population. I would have been here even if the cops hadn't called me first."

Iris stepped into the room and Barry's carefully patched emotions surged as he sank into her fierce hug.

"Excuse me, no one's allowed - " Laurel started.

"This is my sister, Iris. Who called you?" Barry asked as she pulled back to check him over with sharp eyes.

"No one called us, which you're going to regret later - but Detective Lance has been texting Dad," Iris said, turning to greet Laurel. "You must be Laurel, kudos on getting that chaperone clause - I don't think Barry fully explained to us the number of unbonded Alphas in the area."

He winced. "Iris, it's not - "

"You've got six hours before we can yell at you, that was always the rule when Dad came home hurt from work," Iris cut him off. "But we _are_ going to yell at you. Is your guest room clean?"

"I have a roommate. He's probably going to growl at you," Barry said.

"His roommate doesn't stay in the guest room and has changed the sheets and made sure there are plenty of towels," Laurel said.

"You finally let that poor Alpha in your bedroom?" Iris asked eagerly. "I always imagined him whining outside the door like my boyfriend does when I make him sleep on the couch."

"God, you should hear my husband, pathetic," Laurel smiled.

"Oliver doesn't whine and we're not allowed to announce it yet, so we're roommates. Don't tell Dad," Barry said.

"There seems to be a lot of things you aren't telling your father," Joe said, walking in with Quentin.

"Dad," he said, walking over and giving up on keeping it together. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, Bear," Joe sighed, embracing him tightly. It was worth the pull on his stitches. "You're in so much trouble."

"Wait until we get home, I'm going to be in a lot more," Barry admitted.

"Why?" Joe asked suspiciously. "Tell me now so I won't yell at you in front of all these Alphas."

"I have a roommate that I wasn't planning on introducing you to until Thanksgiving," Barry murmured.

"I'll take secret boyfriends over international security incidents, okay? God, I was so worried about you."

 

* * *

 

  
_homecoming_

The door opened before he could get his key in the lock and Oliver immediately took several steps back to stand beside Sara in the hallway.

"I can't deal with this in my own apartment," Barry said, moving inside and wrapping his arms around Oliver. "I'm exhausted, can we just be normal now?"

"Damn," Oliver hissed, cupping the back of his neck and turning his head so he could search his face. "Your ' _fuck off_ ' flare is still on." Oliver relaxed after a moment and returned his embrace with a soft hum. "Did anyone - "

"Laurel and Quentin were with me the whole time. I didn't black out but - "

"He was treated with the utmost respect - it's on record because they kept making me sign waivers," Laurel said.

He was too tired to deal with any more 'rituals' no matter how necessary they were and Oliver's hand smoothed circles over his back and kept him close. He was vaguely aware of Oliver greeting Joe and Iris and mumbling to Quentin about security measures.

"The hugging doesn't work like that when Dad does it," Sara said in the background.

"It's an Unmarked thing. I like it better than that weird gurgle-growl he did before," Laurel replied.

"No, that was okay," Sara replied. "It's a sign of affection."

"We didn't allow growling and posturing in the house, but Barry didn't really invite a lot of Alphas over, either. I thought my boyfriend had indigestion the first time he tried the rumble-growl with me," Iris added.

"Excuse us for a moment," Oliver said, steering Barry into the living room away from the influx of guests. "Barry?"

"I fucked up everything today. Did you really change the sheets in the guest room for - "

" _Barry_." Oliver kissed him softly and Barry hummed his gratitude into his mouth. "You're home, _safe_. Tell me what you need."

"I need to sleep off these painkillers and pretend like today did not happen," he admitted, curling into his arms again.

"Okay. I don't want to leave you alone right now, but your family gets first dibs. I need to convince the Lances to clear out and then I'll be back," Oliver said.

"Stay, just talk around me; I need to not be out of your reach right now," Barry said with an accidental tremor in his voice.

Oliver hesitated. "You said you wanted things to be normal."

"Can I - " He didn't know how to explain it. After hours of insisting on zero Alpha contact and drowning in the proximity of them, he really needed some tea and a cuddle right now.

"Fine, but don't forget that I tried," Oliver said, straddling him on the couch and unzipping the hoodie enough to snake his hands inside to get skin-to-skin and surround him.

The human part of him would probably be horrified at the PDA so near to his family but the Omega part of him Flared at the contact.

"Is he purring? I've never - " Sara's voice was distant.

"It means he's safe. Never heard of him doing it with an Alpha," Joe replied, patting his hair.

"Safe now," Barry managed before Oliver's warmth lulled him to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

_glorious_

 

"Oh my God, Ollie, I wish you could have seen their faces!" Thea laughed. She didn't look like the cold, hard-eyed Alpha from the bar a few weeks back - she looked - happy.

Oliver waved him over to the couch before he could go for a shirt and immediately went to work checking the neat line of fading stitching. "Thea staged a coup."

"What?" Barry asked.

She smiled. "Tommy and Roy are in your kitchen. We were already planning on it but your accident took Laurel, Ollie and Sara out of danger without us having to break cover. I'm the new Pack Alpha for the Queen and Merlyn Packs, and I'm bonded to Roy so the ruling packs are now allied for the first time in decades."

Barry stared at her. "I didn't get that from your reading at all."

"You're missing the point. My Pack has given me official permission to claim you as an independent Alpha," Oliver said.

"When you say 'claim', you mean 'date in public', right?" Barry warned.

"Of course," Oliver said, winking. "As long as that includes you wearing a piece of my clothing every time you go outside."

"I knew there was a reason I swore never to date an Alpha," Barry sighed.

"I already invited Iris and your Dad to my wedding so don't break up before next month," Thea said.

He hesitated and the Alphas gave him a worried look. "No - just, Omegas and weddings, it would be a big thing."

"Oh, the omega thing isn't important," Thea said. "The government had the press locked down. Your identity's not a secret at the police station and you might not be able to go back to work - but as my brother's plus one - you have to come."

Oliver held out a shirt and manhandled him into the sleeves. "The clothes sharing isn't an Omega thing, either, it's a territory marker. Scenting over trinkets," he said, motioning to the bracelet.

"We can negotiate, I require more evidence that you're not making it up because you hate my hoodies," Barry said.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This entire chapter was a rewrite so I apologize for the delay. I hope it makes sense. Now that the 'verse is haphazardly built, I hope to drabble in this sandbox in the future to get to all the bits I missed.


End file.
